Aything But Mine
by DuckonMooseEh
Summary: Beast Boy is leaving, something he doesn't want to do... but has to. Someday he'll come back. Definitely not Teen rating, but oh well.


Okay, I've been trying to quit writing these things… I mean, I've got to concentrate on the comic, I've got… 'other things' I need to be thinking about… but I'm a sucker for reviews. You keep them coming, and you have my word that you'll keep getting stories. "But I'll still have a band to tear it up and play it loud as long as there's a ballroom with a corner stage and a honkeytonk crowd" or however it goes, lol. Anyways, I'm still the same me, except this time I've got more responsibilities… lol. Happy (insert ALL holidays I've missed since last time I wrote here). I hope this meets your expectations.

Disclaimer: I own a pen. A girl owns me. Better deal: me owning the pen… it doesn't say or do stupid things that cause mass chaos… like nearly drive into walls. Anyways, the moral of this story is Dukes of Hazzard is awesome (both the show and the movie), I am a moron, and I don't own the music, the characters, or damn near anything else in this fic.

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_Jump City's a great place. Really. It is. The lights, the beach. The people. It's a great city. But not to live in. But I guess I'm a bit biased. I've never really liked big cities. Give me a nice little town out in the country somewhere._

Beast Boy sighed, folding the piece of paper he'd been writing on; he wasn't depressed, but lately he'd had the bizarre urge to write. He didn't know why, but he felt like he needed to get what he was thinking down on paper. Maybe it was to be remembered…

"Is that you?" came a soft voice from the darkness behind him. The green boy smiled, turning to look over his shoulder as the gentle waves washed up beneath the pier to gently lap at his feet.

"I didn't think anyone'd find me here," he answered, flopping backwards to lay in the soft, moist sand.

"Most people don't think to hide under an old pier," Raven admitted, taking a tentative step towards him, "So why're you down here?"

"I dunno… do you?"

"How would I know why you were down here?" Raven growled in a not-so-irritated tone.

"Because," he laughed, flipping over onto his belly and looking up at her, "You're psychic, you can like… read my self-conscious or something."

"You mean your subconscious?" the demoness smiled slightly, sitting in front of him.

"Yeah, that thing."

He laid on his back again, pushing himself towards her until his head rested just slightly along the inside of her leg; it was a simple, tentative move, but it was one she couldn't quite deal with at the moment.

"Please don't, Beast Boy," she murmured, sliding back a little and blushing. He sighed slightly as he let his head gently hit the ground.

"Whatever, Raven," he said, standing. He wiped the sand off him, then reached out to help her up, an unnaturally serious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry Beast Boy, it's just… I can't go through this."

His hand fell limply to his side.

"Can't go through what, Raven? I was just resting, we're friends… yeah, I wouldn't do that with Cyborg or Robin or maybe even Starfire, but you're different then them… we're still just friends though, you've made that quite clear."

Raven lowered her eyes to the ground; he couldn't see it, but they were filling slowly with tears, "It's not that… I want to be with you. I thought maybe we had a chance for something to happen a few weeks ago… but-"

"-But what? That was a few dates, Raven… one kiss. Nothing more. Maybe there was a chance of it becoming more, but you made it clear that you didn't want that to happen."

"Only because you decided to leave, BB," she said, looking up at him. Her eyes were now filled with tears, "You knew I'd finally beat my father, you knew I could feel my emotions… And yet you decide it's time to go off on your own. I can't just let you love me then leave me like that… I can't do that and hope you'll come back someday for me."

There was a pause that seemed to stretch into eternity as Beast Boy stared into her eyes, looking at her tears, realizing that she was serious. Raven had changed; she could feel now, and had felt for him. _Him_, of all people… He lowered himself slowly to his knees, as close to her as he dared get, then pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Raven… I didn't mean for this to happen, but I just can't stay here." He felt her take a deep breath and reach to hold him close, possessively clinging to him in a mirror of how he held her, "I'm sorry, Raven, but I have to do this… but I will come back someday."

"Promise?" she whispered in his ear. She seemed desperate, almost, like her whole life depended on an answer she didn't expect to hear.

"I promise Raven," he said, pulling her tighter against him, then kissing her forehead. He stood slowly, helping her stand, and they set out along the beach as the sun slowly set.

They were only friends, after all.

Walking alone beneath the lights of that miracle mile,  
Me and Mary making our way into the night,  
You can hear the cries from the carnival rides,  
The pinball bills, ski ball slides,  
Watching the summer sun fall out of sight,  
There's a warm wind coming in from off of the ocean  
Making its way past the hotel wall to fill the streets  
Mary is holding both of her shoes in her hands  
Said she likes to feel the sand beneath her feet

They met the rest of the team at the carnival; Robin and Starfire were holding hands, a large teddy-bear clutched in her other hand. It was almost comical how much they were trying to be a normal couple. And as for Cyborg…

"What do you mean I can't order 20 cheeseburgers?" he shouted at an unfortunate cashier at one of the restaurants.

"I'm sorry Mr. Cyborg, sir!" he said in a brave attempt to face the enraged Titan without peeing his pants or otherwise embarrassing himself, "But we don't have that many left."

"Ah man… do you have any steaks?"

"I think so sir…"

"Alright, then give me the 12 burgers you do have and 3 steaks… oh yeah, and a few tofu burgers."

Quite obviously, Cyborg was either not trying to appear normal in any way, shape, or form, or he didn't care either way. Add to it the fact that he was blasting music through speakers hidden somewhere within his robot body, and one might've been able to argue that he was going out of his way to be abnormal with a reasonable amount of success.

"Even if you were made outta lead, your human part would still way more than your robot half," Beast Boy taunted as he sat at a table. Raven sat next to him, and they were immediately joined by Robin and Starfire, opposite them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cyborg shouted, spinning to face his oldest friend with a broad grin on his face. Behind him, the cashier let out a great sigh and collapsed against his small counter, pale and trembling; apparently facing a meat-deprived half-robot was more than his nerves could take.

"Hmm, let's think about that…" Beast Boy put on a thoughtful expression, then morphed into a perfect green replica of Whinney the Pooh, "Think, think… think…" He switched back to his normal self as Starfire let out her girlish, gleeful giggle (giving a slight and supposedly covert glance at Raven to see her reaction) and shouted out, "Oh yeah… it means you're FAT AS HELL!"

"Who you callin' fat?" Cyborg yelled back, sitting on the wooden chair at the head of the table, which immediately collapsed. He looked up at them from the ground, a grim expression on his face as the entire table burst out laughing. "Um… the wood was rotted… termites…"

"Of course it was," Raven responded; though she had been able to feel for a few months safely, she was still hesitant to show her emotions; old habits die hard, especially when they used to be necessary for the survival of everything mortal. Her classic calmness had returned almost immediately after the chair broke.

Cyborg stood up, grinning at his friends, "Seriously though, I coulda been hurt… don't rig the furniture, Beast Boy."

"Me?" Beast Boy grinned, spitting out a wood chip and a fair amount of sawdust, "You're wrong… musta been the termites, like you said."

And in the morning I'm leaving, making my way back to Cleveland  
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine  
And I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine

The rest of the meal passed uneventfully. None of them wanted to talk about the next day. None of them wanted to think about the fact that the green lad who'd become a brother to them (and had very nearly become more to the "untouchable" goddess among them) was leaving at dawn. But they all knew that it would. None of them wanted to remember the day that their lives had changed… perhaps not as drastically as some lives occasionally do, but had changed nonetheless.

It had been a day just like this, except Raven had woken earlier than the rest of them. It wasn't that odd that she was awake early; rather, it was strange because of the reason. As she paced around the living room, she looked nervously at her reflection in the mirror.

"What am I thinking?" she said to herself, looking at her tight black dress; a near perfect mix of sensuality and modesty, she had let Starfire pick it out for her, never thinking she'd actually wear it.

"Uh-gah," came the lame voice from the door. She spun, surprised to hear the noise, and saw Beast Boy looking at her slim form, blushing when he saw the relatively low cut of the neck. She blushed, smiling shyly at him.

She hadn't expected to wear the dress. She hadn't expected him to see her in it. Then again, she wasn't expecting what he told her several minutes later, either- once he'd started breathing again, that is.

He'd said he had a dream. He wouldn't explain what he saw, but he just knew that he had to leave, had to go out by himself for a while, but he would be back someday. And he'd promised her that he would stay faithful to her if she would stay faithful to him. It was too much for her though. She fled the room, unable to believe that her first love would abandon her. And so they'd stayed as friends, neither mentioning the event or the nights they'd spent together in the weeks before. He later told the rest of the team of his plan, and they slipped into various forms of surprise and depression. And now it was the day before he would leave, and each was fighting to keep their depression at bay.

It didn't take long for the team to finish eating. Afterwards they sat around together, joking and talking and bragging; you'd have almost thought they were normal people. You also would've thought that there was something between the young Gothic girl and the optimistic boy who seemed to be the center of attention at this particular meal, and you'd be right.

There's a local band playing at the sea side pavilion  
And I got just enough cash to get us in  
And as we are dancing Mary's wrapping her arms around me  
And I can feel the sting of summer on my skin  
In the mist of the music I tell her I love her,  
We both laugh cause we know it isn't true  
But Mary there's a summer drawing to an end tonight  
And there's so much that I long to do to you

She didn't want to give into this. She didn't want to feel for him, knowing he was going to leave and she couldn't go with him… she just didn't want to have to deal with that pain. But, watching him, feeling the occasional brush of his leg or arm against her as he moved comically when he talked, she knew that she might not want to feel for him, but feelings have a way of ignoring what it is the person in question wants.

Beast Boy was enjoying himself immensely; true, he was depressed he was leaving tomorrow, but he knew he'd be back and this family would be waiting for him when he did. He even entertained the hope that he might still have a chance with Raven when he returned… but just in case, he exaggerated his movements a little so that he could feel her soft skin, even if it was just a slight momentary touch.

It was well after midnight when the team made their way back to their home, still laughing and joking with each other. Robin and Starfire quickly retired to the large bedroom they now shared, and Cyborg used the ageless excuse that he "needed to fix the car", but it was apparent that he was trying to give Raven and Beast Boy some time alone.

And in the morning I'm leaving, making my way back to Cleveland  
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine  
And I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine

As usually happens during times like this, the friends began their conversation with an awkward silence, spiced up slightly with the sexual tension still remaining from their time together as a couple. It was several long minutes before Raven finally broke the silence.

"Do you really have to go?"

He smiled sadly at her; he had just been asking himself the same question.

"I wish I didn't, Raven… but I don't have much choice," he took a tentative step towards her, reaching a hand out to lightly grasp hers. He was still amazed at how small and warm her hands were. "I wish you could come with me, too… but this is something I have to do alone. And besides, I doubt you'd want to go anyways."

"Why wouldn't I want to, Beast Boy?" Raven's grip tightened, and she took a small step towards him, looking pleadingly into his eyes.

"I dunno… But you can't anyways. I don't know why, but you just can't."

Beast Boy lead her over to the couch, and they sat together, looking out over the bay for several hours that they wished could stretch out for eternity. Both were content to just be together, her head resting on his shoulder and his arm wrapped loosely around her waist, their hands still together; neither made a move for anything more, though both knew that more would happen if they wanted. Finally dawn broke over their little island.

"Beast Boy," Raven said, turning to look into his eyes again. This time when he tried to look away, he couldn't, and so he simply stared back helplessly. "Promise me you'll come back."

"I promise."

And in the morning I'm leaving, making my way back to Cleveland  
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine  
And I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine

None of the others saw him leave. Nobody is even sure if she did. Only years later would they find out that she had walked with him to the roof, where he changed into a great eagle and flew away into the burning sky. Raven was left standing forlornly on the tower's windswept roof, staring into the sky with tears making their slow way down her cheek.

Life in the tower wasn't the same after he left. Raven no longer read or meditated; all of her free time was spent looking up into the wild blue which had devoured her first love. At night her crying could be heard within the tour, and, if the wind was right, by those who took the moonlight boat tour of the city.

While the others suffered through the pains of losing a friend so dear, even for a short time, they still had a job to do; night after night, one of the three others would patrol the city to protect it against its evils. It was on one of these patrols that Cyborg found something that none of them had been expecting.

"Did he say what happened?" Robin asked later.

"No… just said 'now I can come back' or something," Cyborg said, slightly dazed. He ducked as Starfire flew overhead, giggling in happiness.

About an hour before, Cyborg had been driving at the edge of town. He had come across a person of medium build in a sweater with the hood pulled up and a pair of rather tattered jeans. It wasn't until he offered the scrawny person a ride to a place to stay that Cyborg realized it was Beast Boy. Their reunion was short, but both knew that nothing had changed between them; they were still closer than brothers, and the debate over meat and tofu would rage until the day they died.

Beast Boy had hardly even stopped to say "Hello" to Robin and Starfire, but made it known that he would definitely visit with them more soon. At the moment, there was one person he wanted to talk to more than any of the others.

Mary I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine

Raven was, as she had been for the countless nights since Beast Boy left, on the roof. Though she wasn't crying now, the shiny streaks on her cheeks showed that she had only just stopped. She looked out over the city alone now, the wind making her cape billow fitfully about her.

"I miss you Beast Boy," she murmured to herself. While little had changed about her physically, she had greatly changed emotionally; not only could she feel love for Beast Boy, but she was feeling it to an almost painful intensity. "I wish you were here."

A soft, slightly immature voice answered her from the darkness of the roof's only entrance to the tower.

"Wish granted, Rae."

It took several seconds for the words to register for her, but when they did, she spun around to see Beast Boy standing there at the tower's door, grinning the same stupid grin at her. She smiled broadly, happiness spreading throughout her entire body as she ran to him. She hugged him tightly, slamming him into the wall, and he hugged her back awkwardly, trying to regain his breath.

"It's good to see you too, Raven," he gasped, feeling her arms tightening steadily around him in her posessive embrace.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" She stood back slightly, still holding him gently and looking up and down his slim frame, blushing slightly. She gave him a small smirk, looking into his eyes, "And what are you wearing?"

"You like it?" he asked, grinning at her and lifting his arms to give her a better look at the stained and ragged clothing he wore, "I wanted to look like a homeless person."

"I think you did a good job. There's just one thing you're forgetting…"

"Oh?"

"Fingerless gloves… for some reason a lot of them have fingerless gloves."

He grinned at her, rolling along the wall until he had her pinned lightly to it, his body pressed against hers gently; she blushed more. "I don't think that's all I forgot to do."

Their friends, watching expectantly through the door Beast Boy had barely left open, grinned at each other and quietly closed the door, leaving the two to do what they wished, whether as friends or as lovers.

...And in the morning I'm leaving, making my way back to Cleveland  
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine  
Hey, I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine

The next morning, Raven and Beast Boy were both gone. All they left was a message, scrawled on a napkin and taped to the television: _Gone to start over. Normal lives for us for the time being… We're gonna start a family. We'll write you when we know the wedding'll be. We'll be back if you ever get into trouble… take care, and we'll visit soon… Thanks. Thanks for being our family. Your friends- Raven and Beast Boy. _

_PS: Congratulations on the baby Star… Rae knew as soon as you got pregnant, she could feel the life start… and she's pretty sure that it's got a "cousin" on the way…_

"You're pregnant," Robin asked, staring blankly at Starfire. She blushed, giggling slightly and nodding.

"Wait… what's that last part?" Cyborg asked.

"You're pregnant?"

"I believe Beast Boy means that Raven is also pregnant," Starfire smiled, jumping up and down happily.

"You're pregnant?"

"Ah man… that means that 'Uncle Cy' is gonna be spending a lot of time babysitting," Cyborg groaned.

"You're PREGNANT?"

"Oh well," Cyborg grinned, smirking at the dazed Robin, "BB's gone, and you know what that means… I'm making WAFFLES!"

What else would you expect from Cyborg? Try as they might, life will never be normal for the Titans, and ("You're pregnant?") they don't really want it to be anyways.

Several miles away, Raven smiled at her fiance.

"Robin didn't take the news as good as you did, Beast Boy." He laughed, grabbing her hand as the rest of the world fell away. "So will you tell me why you left?"

He grinned, "I'll never tell." Her answer was a nervous bite of her lip, coupled with a slightly raised eyebrow. "But I didn't do anything bad, you're the first person I've done anything with!" he yelled, blushing.

"Good," she said smirking, "Otherwise I might've had to hurt someone…" Beast Boy prudently crossed his legs, still blushing. "I wouldn't hurt that… we're gonna need it again," she laughed. Then she leaned over and pushed him to the ground, crawling atop him.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Raven…"

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Well, that's it. I know it was a bit rushed at the end, but that's what I wanted with it… I also know that some people will probably insult me for doing my usual style for romance stuff: Not much detail when it comes to kissing or anything else, and fairly abstract… but oh well. Someone will probably insult the ending… all I can say is, I wanted it to end like that, and when I say those they have my entire soul behind them… that's how Beast Boy is saying it there. Most people use the phrase lightly, but I don't. So, while it may seem corny, (just like my actually using the term "corny") that's the way I wanted it to end. There will most likely not be a second part to this. If y'all want something, I will if I get the time (and an idea) but time is scarce… I've got a lot of writing to do for the Comic, for other things that I want to finish, and, most importantly, I'm making plans to get away from Vegas. I dunno if I'll be able to write anymore once I do… but I'll definitely try. Please review (flames are welcomed, as usual). Take care, all, and I hope you enjoyed it. And once more… "You're pregnant?". Sorry… couldn't resist, lol… that was pretty much my reaction… well, please review. Thanks.


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